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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23954212">The Molly and the Sapphist</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight'>theriveroflight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Revolutionary Past Holders [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A mix of comedy and serious parts, American Revolution, F/F, Lesbian Character, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Miraculous Holders, Period Typical Attitudes, Queer Character, Teamwork</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:01:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23954212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tikki and Plagg have been through this before.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Plagg &amp; Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Revolutionary Past Holders [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>May 2020 - Past Holders</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story is written for the May 2020 event on the ML Fanfiction Discord. Invite link in the end notes.</p><p>This chapter is sort of a prologue/origins.</p><p>There will be a companion story to this. I intend to update this every other day, and it'll be complete by the end of the month. Crossing my fingers.</p><p>(Edit 5/1: fixed dialogue inconsistencies and Queenie's name problem)</p><p>All of my other stories will probably go on a hiatus as I work furiously on this one and its companion.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tikki and Plagg have been through this before.</p><p>The two holders meet each other, they talk about their identities openly, and then they fall in love. Of course, each set has its own complications, but overall, it’s the same old love story every time.</p><p>They’ve changed up the story a few times of their own volition - the “rules” that prohibit them from revealing, but they still end up together.</p><p>And of course they’ve had holders that were attracted to the same gender - they aren’t unfamiliar with the concept, and during those times the holders were both the same gender so they ended up together in the end anyways.</p><p>But it isn’t until they get selected to be with Spots and Misfortune that they see something new.</p><hr/><p>
  <em> Boston, MA: 1774 </em>
</p><p>Catherine (though she preferred Cathy, generally) was walking towards the General Store. While she and her family needed the spices, she would prefer to not be known as a supporter of the British. The General Store owners were supporters, and they were heckled constantly by the populace for supporting them.</p><p>Maybe she should find somewhere else to buy her spices. The windows are boarded up. The owners are probably hiding.</p><p>Someone taps her on the shoulder. She doesn’t recognize them, but Boston is a city. She doesn’t need to know everyone that lives in Boston. “Greetings, little lady.” She frowns. <em> Men. </em> There was a reason that she preferred the company of women.</p><p>“Whatever you’re looking for from me…” She glares.</p><p>“You look like you need something.”</p><p>“I was going to this establishment in the hopes of purchasing some spices.” She waits for him to take that in.</p><p>“I know somewhere better,” he says. “Are you willing to trust me?” He doesn’t look particularly trustworthy or untrustworthy, but somehow, the tone of his voice leads her to what she says next.</p><p>“No,” she answers, “but I will follow anyway.”</p><hr/><p>There is an underground spice market, apparently, for those avoiding British shipments.</p><p>She supposes that it makes sense. Her escort provides the phrase necessary for them to be let in, and she’s astounded by the sight around her.</p><p>There are merchants in stalls around the small square, negotiating in hushed whispers with the customers.</p><p>“Browse around, little lady. And you will be able to find me when you’re done.” She resists the urge to roll her eyes as she looks around the underground market.</p><p>She purchases the spices, and she whirls around to see that he’s been tailing her all along. “Why are you following me?” she asks.</p><p>“I have something to show you.”</p><p>She frowns. “You already showed me something.”</p><p>“Something else, then.”</p><p>She follows. He leads her into a small cottage. Three other people are in there.</p><p>She recognizes one - Matthew, a half-Wampanoag man. Cathy has seen him around the city before - her older brother is a friend of his. There’s also another woman and man. The woman looks at her with disdain. “This is the Ladybug you had in mind?” Her voice almost arches in defense.</p><p>“Queenie, you could be more tactful.”</p><p>“I told you, you can call me Tiger Queen.”</p><p>She looks between them. Just what exactly is going on here? Why is Matthew involved? </p><p>“What is going <em> on </em>here? Who are you all?”</p><p>The person she followed her suddenly appears with a box in front of her.</p><p>“Catherine Evans, I am the Guardian of the Miraculous.” The box opens, revealing three tiers. “I seekest to ask you if you will take up the responsibility of wielding the Ladybug Miraculous, which grants the power of Creation. You will work in conjunction with the other three wielders currently in the room to defend the world from evil.”</p><p>“What sort of evil?” she asks. There’s all sorts of evil in the world now.</p><p>“I must admit, I was reluctant at first to recruit you due to the nature of your beliefs. Though, as I’ve heard, you are a brilliant pick for the Ladybug - a creative mind, unafraid to go through, with a heart for good.” The guardian removes a pair of earrings. “Will you become the next wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous?”</p><p>“I will.” The Guardian offers her the pair of earrings. She takes them carefully. All of a sudden, a bright pink light emanates from them as they touch her hand. It zooms around her a bit, and she tries to stay steady around them.</p><p>“Hello!” The…thing? Spirit? looks around the room, and then turns back towards the Guardian. “Really?”</p><p>“They work better as a team like this. Besides, the evil isn’t someone that infiltrates their <em> mind </em>, not in the same way as a Butterfly or Peacock enemy. And Misfortune picked her.”</p><p>She looks over towards Matthew - now she knows something more about the situation.</p><p>The...creature turns back towards her. “My name is Tikki. I am the kwami of the Ladybug Miraculous.”</p><p>“There’ll be a guide to your powers available to you when you transform.”</p><p>“Transform?” She almost drops the earrings. “Is this some kind of witchcraft?”</p><p>“No,” the Guardian answers her. “The Miraculous were created by magic, but the kwamis have existed since the beginning of time. Everything will come to you in time.”</p><p>She frowns. “Alright.” But she still isn’t quite certain.</p><p>“All you need to say is, ‘Tikki, spots on!’” the <em> kwami </em>says.</p><p>“One more thing. Do I need to have holes in my ears for these?” she asks.</p><p>“No. The earrings will go in and out without. That’s a part of the magic,” one of the other people in the room says. “It adapts to you and your needs.”</p><p>She fastens the earrings in. It goes easily in, relieving her fears.</p><p>“Okay. Tikki, spots on.” She’s blinded by a flash of pink light and she feels a rush of energy breeze through her.</p><p>The new outfit, when she looks down, is red and spotted - like a ladybug, she supposes. It kind of reminds her of something she imagines a pirate wearing.</p><p>“So, are you in?” the woman who Matthew had called ‘Queenie’ asks.</p><p>“I’m in.”</p><p>“You need an alias,” the last person in the room says.</p><p>“Spots,” she says, with absolute certainty.</p><p>“Alright, Spots,” Matthew says. “Call me Misfortune.”</p><p>“I get it,” she answers.</p><p>“I’m Queen Stripes. Tiger,” the woman who seems to be <em> very </em>skeptical of everyone says. Inconsistent with what she told Matthew earlier, which is...strange.</p><p>“Wyvern,” the aloof man says, from next to Queen Stripes. “Dragon wielder.”</p><p>“You four will be working together from now on. That’s all for today,” the Guardian says. “Spots, for you to detransform, just say, ‘spots off.’ Though I suspect that the others will want to train you first.”</p><p>“I would like to see her combat capabilities,” Wyvern says. Stripes is already leaving the cottage. Wyvern follows.</p><p>“Well, Cathy, shall we?” She smiles. She has someone she knows here. It’s a slight reassurance.</p><p>They walk out together. She realizes that she’s still in the costume. It’ll be okay. They want to train, after all.</p><p>She’ll show them what she has.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Training.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Alright, Spots,” the Tiger person says. “Detransform, and then we’ll get you an outfit more suited for combat than what you normally wear outside of being a hero. Fighting basics will be good for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tikki, spots off,” she says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you’re up against me first, Spots. After we get you some proper clothes. And by no circumstances,” she levels a glare, “can you call me Queenie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, is that reserved exclusively for Misfortune?” she replies. Cathy’s getting used to the nicknames, but it’s still unfamiliar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He shouldn’t,” Tiger answers. “He normally uses T for me. He uses Queenie when he’s trying to make me mad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T? Is that why you said ‘Tiger Queen’ at first?” she notices. “Because you said two different things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I cover. T is from my outside name.” Tiger shakes her head. “You’re about my size. Come with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She follows Tiger. When they reach a small hideout, Tiger opens up a chest. It’s a moderately-sized but discreet chest. It looks out of place in the small cave, but in a house it wouldn’t stand out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chest is filled with clothing. She selects an outfit from the pieces within and takes her hair down from the bun and braids it (like it’s braided when she’s transformed).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. Get changed.” Tiger turns away. “I won’t look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feels nervous about getting undressed right now, but it’s no different from bathing with her sisters. Cathy dresses up in the outfit. It feels...different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She redoes her hair in a braid instead of the bun that her hair is normally in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” she declares, feeling different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tiger turns back towards her. “Looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Spots.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I ready to go?” she asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you are. I’m sure the boys already are getting started,” Tiger answers, adding a wink to the end of her response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She honestly doesn’t think of it like that. “I look forward to seeing all of your styles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they walk into the woods, Tiger turns towards her. “Okay. Some ground rules for this. No Miraculous. Use anything you can, but fight to incapacitate above all. One of the spectators will call it. Or if it’s a two versus two, once one of us is down it’s over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She removes her earrings, and asks a question. “Who was the other member in the two verus two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guardian was. And then we figured out that he was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Loyalist. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But now you can be on M’s team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alright. She can work with that knowledge. And it makes sense now, what he said before about her </span>
  <em>
    <span>views, </span>
  </em>
  <span>as though they were different. “Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They arrive in the clearing. Wyvern and Matthew are already sparring, Matthew crouching under a punch and attempting to sweep Wyvern out from underneath his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The attempt fails, and Matthew is forced to jump back as Wyvern kicks at him. The kick still hits, but it doesn’t land with as much vigor as it might have otherwise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wraps the earrings in her palm in a handkerchief and places it down on the sidelines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wyvern is what some would call the fighter of the group. He seems to be the strongest of them, and can take blows more easily. Meanwhile, Tiger seems like she would be more of a speed-based fighter, outrunning the people around her. Matthew seems like the type to follow people from the shadows before surprising them with an attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, she’s just…herself. She supposes she can work out a role on the team. But they </span>
  <em>
    <span>work.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And she can see a gap - a fighter with more range is probably something that they’d need on their side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, sweetheart.” The nickname reads as more of an insult than a compliment, especially coming from Tiger. “Show us what you’ve got.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gets in a clumsy fighting stance, and balls her fists, holding them up close to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Spots. Before any swings, there are a few things. One, your legs are too straight. You can’t deliver </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>powerful blows with your legs straight. Two, you’re too tense. You won’t be too effective with your arms like that around your face.” Tiger nudges her left foot forwards a bit. “The fact that you put your left in front of your right is good, so you aren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely </span>
  </em>
  <span>hopeless.” She bends her knees a little bit, feeling awkward. “No, you have to let it come </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfortably </span>
  </em>
  <span>for you. If it isn’t working, then readjust. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop tensing your shoulders.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She takes a deep breath, and relaxes. “Better.” Tiger steps back into her fighting stance, across from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, come and get me.” She doesn’t. She stays on her toes as they circle around each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Spots? Are you a coward?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smirks. “I just don’t make the first move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tiger lashes out with a kick. She lifts her leg to take the blow instead of her torso. It connects, and she uses it to get closer to Tiger and to attempt to land a punch on her chin. Tiger blocks, and grasps her and trips her. She falls back onto the grass, but stands back up and tries to kick her square in the chest. Tiger seems caught off guard, but still manages to catch her leg. She tries to bend her knee to get out of it, but the hopping is awkward, and by the time she’s close enough to push Tiger in the chest Tiger uses the grasp on her leg to manipulate her into landing on the ground. She rises, but not all the way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of standing up all the way, she headbutts Tiger in the stomach. It winds her enough for her to take the opportunity to get up and land a punch with her right fist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not bad,” Tiger says. “Alright.” She turns to address the two spectators. “Teams now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Matthew answers.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Sugarcube.” Tikki whirls around to see Plagg. “You back out again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think our wielders this time will get along well. They already know each other, and yours is fond of her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think he’s actually more fond of spending time with her brother, actually,” Plagg dryly answered. “But that’s something we can overcome.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we’ll have to see how the cards fall,” she answers. “I look forward to watching them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They look towards the clearing and the sparring that they’re going through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matthew and Catherine are working back to back - Matthew is directly sparring James, while she fends off attacks from Christine. She’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>familiar </span>
  </em>
  <span>with most of them - least familiar with her own holder, who seems reluctant to talk with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They seem to work well together as a unit - one pro of knowing each other well enough to make a difference. And this is only their first time really working together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Imagine what they’ll be like in a few months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to imagine it.” Oh. She hadn’t realized that she said that aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, it’s still true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catherine is the one who falls. Not surprising - the group can be intense in their bouts - but Tikki has the feeling that Catherine is very resilient.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Matthew pulls her up. “Good job today, everyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Miraculous portion today?” Christine asks. “I was really hoping to bring the claws out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go easy on Spots,” James says. “It’s her first time. This is intense enough as it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighs. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catherine heads over to pick up the earrings. She puts them back on, and TIkki follows as she heads back to the cave to reclaim her previous clothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can keep the gear, by the way!” Christine shouts to Catherine.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reference Things:</p><p>1) I have no idea if a cave actually exists. It's very small.<br/>2) Re: Bun vs Braid: Braids were considered a more childish hairstyle and were reserved for unmarried women. By wearing her hair in a bun, Catherine is expressing herself as a more mature woman (and taken).<br/>3) Loyalist, for those who don't know/don't remember American history, represents those loyal to the British.<br/>4) Re: fighting stance: tension bad. Keep light and loose when you fight, and be prepared for anything.<br/>5) Yes, you can use your leg to block kicks. It's better than your organs.<br/>6) Tiger's leg catch was ineffective. Don't be like Tiger.<br/>7) "Sugarcube": I don't know whether sugar came in cubes at the time, but it's probable.</p><p>I think that's everything. Have a great day/night/wherever you are!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If you've seen the other story, you know what this is.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since I like Catherine and Matthew better, I know more about where the story would be going with them and they get more detailed arcs. Author bias? Sure, I don't care.</p><p> </p><p>So, at the end of the last chapter, we know that Catherine's brother, who Matthew is...fucking (apologies for the crudeness but it's true) is engaged to be married to this girl.</p><p>Matthew and the Unnamed Brother (this is how unprepared I was for this story, didn't even have a name) break it off.</p><p>Tikki and Plagg try and set up Catherine and Matthew <em>several </em>times, which was kind of the point of this story - two exclusively gay holders getting set up by their kwamis who think that they're supposed to be together.</p><p>So, when their coup against the Guardian doesn't end in their Miraculous being taken, the Guardian recruits two new users. A Horse and a Bee, both loyalists.</p><p>Catherine and the Horse holder have an enemies to lovers arc. Loads of Catherine being too gay to function and commiserating with Matthew, who's starting to get to know one of the soldiers on the battlefield.</p><p>Eventually, the kwamis realise that Catherine and Matthew are not and never will be attracted to each other and give up setting them up. Plagg is the one who actually figures it out first. He's more observant than one might think, in my head. Tikki reprimands Catherine for falling for one of the enemy. Plagg helps Matthew build his confidence and go for the solider boy. </p><p>They defeat the Guardian, and Matthew is the one that gets designated with the Miracle Box. The bee user is still actively fighting them, but the horse willingly surrenders alongside the Guardian <strike>because of Catherine</strike> because she realises that what she did was probably Not Right. Matthew and Catherine work together to reclaim the Bee on their own.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, they both end up happy with their significant others - or at least as happy as as a queer person in the late 1700s-early 1800s can be. They're forced to Heterosexual Pair Off for a small wedding and to be legally + religiously bound so they don't have to go too far against their families, but the four of them end up cohabiting. Nobody has any kids, and they all get to be at least satisfied and with the people they love. It's as happy an ending as they can hope for, at this point in time.</p><p> </p><p>I really wish I had enough time to write this. This is what would have been if not for my life happening. I'm still writing, and I fully plan on cannibalizing at least Matthew and Catherine into the other ML + OCs story. I would've liked to finish at least this story, but the arcs are longer and more complicated than I thought they would be, and I got way more than I bargained for. I just wanted to bring some closure before the challenge month that I started these stories for is over.</p><p> </p><p>Have a great day/night/wherever you are, and goodbye.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://discord.gg/mlfanworks"> Join the ML Fanfiction Server!</a>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Follow me online:<br/>alto-tenure - main Tumblr<br/>the-river-of-light - visual art Tumblr<br/>beunforgotten - writing Tumblr<br/>riiveroflight - Twitter</p></blockquote></div></div>
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